Linotype-machine.



No. 796,850. PATBNTED AUG. 8, 1905.

, c. MUEHLEISEN.

LINOTYPE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. 28,1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

: WITNESSES: [NI/ENTOR W GWM W EQW PATENTED AUG. 8, 1905.

C. MUEHLBISEN.

LINOTYPE MACHINE.

APPLIOATION rum) MAR.28,1905.

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INVENTOR WITNESSES:

6 B ffijzgL mnnzw. av GRAHAM co.. PNOYO-LITMOGRAPNERs. wnsamcron. my a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIOE.

CARL MUEHLEISEN, OF BERLIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO MERGEN- THALER LINOTYPE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Ll NOTYPE-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1905.

Application filed March 28, 1905. Serial No. 252,444.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, OARL MUEHLEISEN, of Berlin, Germany, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Linotype-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to improvements in machines in which linotypes or lineprinting bars are cast in a slotted mold against a line of matrices temporarily assembled against its face, and although my improvements are to some extent applicable to machines in general of this class I have shown them in the form more particularly adapted for application to the Well-known Mergenthaler linotype-machine represented in Leters Patent of the United States Nos. 436,532 and 557,000.

The invention has reference mainly to a sprue-plate or base-plate used to close the back of the mold and form a smooth base on the linotype produced therein, this plate having a gate or opening through which the metal is delivered.

The invention also consists in means for shaving from the base of the slug any minor projections standing above the base proper.

It. also relates to means for delivering or ejecting from the base-plate the sprue or gate formed therein.

Figure 1 represents a vertical central section from front to rear through the mold, its carrying-wheel, the sprue-plate, the mouth of the melting-pot, and other adjacent parts, the parts being in position for the casting of the slug. Fig. 2 is a horizontal central section through the mold, its carrying-wheel, the ejector, and adjacent parts in the position which the parts occupy immediately before the ejection of the slug. Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the mold and the sprueplate, .showing the knife in the act of trimming the base of the slug. Fig. 4 is a rear face view of the sprue-plate with the knife attached. Fig. 5 is a section of the same on the line 5 5, Figs. 1, 4, and 6. Fig. 6 is an elevation of the sprue-ejector and adjacent parts. Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the part shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the ejector-spring.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the usual vertical intermittinglyrotated wheel or disk to which the mold is rigidly secured.

B represents the slotted-mold secured to the disk and normally open at the front and rear, so that metal may be introduced at the back and the slug ejected at the front. The mold-disk is fixed to the front end of a tubular shaft or arbor b, which is mounted to turn in an arm projecting laterally from a slide O, which is mounted to move forward and backward horizontally in the frame for the purpose of moving the mold to and from the line of matrices.

D represents the composed line of matrices sustainedin the vertically-movable support E, commonly known as the first elevator. While the mold is in a horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 1, this elevator lowers the matrices to a position directly in front of the mold, which is then advanced tightly against the matrices opposite the characters therein by the forward movement of the wheel or disk A and its carrying-slide O.

F represents the delivery-mouth of a melting-pot containing molten type-metal and containing a pump by which the metal is delivered at the proper time through the mouth and into the rear side of the mold. The mouth of the pot has a forward-and-backward motion toward and from the mold. V

In general construction and mode of operation the parts above described resemble those now in common use.

Heretofore it has been the general practice to have the flat perforated mouth of the pot set itself against the rear of the mold for the purpose of closing the same and delivering the metal thereto. When the pot was retracted from the mold, the base of the slug was left in an unfinished condition and with numerous small projections or sprues thereon. This necessitated the trimming of the base of the slug, which was effected by meansofa stationary knife, past which the slug whlle 1n the mold was carried by the rotation of its supporting-wheel. In practice it was found difiicult to trim the slugs smoothly and of unlform height from end to end. In order to overcome this difficulty, I introduce between the mouth of the pot and the rear face of the mold a slotted or perforated sprue-plate or base-plate G, having one face adapted to fit against and close the back of the mold and the opposite face adapted to fit tightly against the mouth of the advancing pot. The slot or opening through this plate for the passage of the metal is of taper form in cross-section,

its forward or delivery side being of a width less than that of the mold, so that the base of the mold is partly closed by the smooth surface of the plate, which forms on the base of the slug smooth continuous surfaces on which the slug will stand when in use in the form.

The sprue or gate formed by the surplus metal in the slot of plate G connects with the slug along a central line only, so that it may be easily broken therefrom, leaving on either side along the entire length of the slug the smooth bearing-surface before referred to. After the casting operation the mold-disk is rotated as usual until the mold assumes a'vertical position in front of the horizontally-reciprocating ejector-blade H, Fig. 2. While the mold is at rest this blade advances and drives the slug forward out of the mold and between the trimming-knives I, as usual. It is obvious that the sprue-plate must be removed from the path of the ejector before the latter advances. To this end I mount the plate to slide radially in guides g on the rear face of the mold-disk A, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 5, &c., and provide it with an opening 9, through which the ejector-blade may be passed after the plate has been moved outward from the casting position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2. The movement of the plate inward and outward may be effected by any suitable means. I prefer, however, to provide itwith astud or roller g arranged to travel in a grooved cam g fixed to or formed upon the mold-supporting slide C. WVhen the rotation of the mold-wheel occurs after the casting action, the cam will act to slide the sprue-plate outward and in so doing will break the sprue or gate away from the base of the slug. Ordinarily the cleavage will occur within the base of the slug. It may occur, however, that the metal will project slightly beyond the base at the point where the sprue is broken away. In order to insure the removal of such protruding metal, I attach to the sprue-plate knife J, which is carried across the rear face of the mold and across the base of the contained slug by the outward movement of the plate. the face of the mold is continued far enough to carry the sprue or gate beyond the mouth of the pot in order to admit of its being discharged from the plate. In order to insure the delivery of the sprue, I propose to employ an ejector-plate K, mounted in a slot above the mold in such position that when the mold moves forward, as itdoes prior to the ejection of the slug, this ejector will encounter a stationary stop L and be held at rest thereby, so that its rear edge will be caused to pass through the slot in the plate, as shown in Fig. 2, thereby driving out the sprue if it has chanced to remain therein. The retraction of the sprueejector may be effected by any suitable means; but I prefer to employ, as shown in the several figures, a spring M, centrally fixed to the The motion of the plate outward across face of the moldwheel and acting at its two I ends in notches in the ejector, as shown in Fig. 7.

It will be understood that the groove in the cam g is of such form as to slide the sprueplate inward and outward at the proper time and to the proper extent during the rotation of the moldwheelthat is to say, the plate is presented in the position shown in Fig. 1 for the casting operation, moved to the position shown in Fig. 3 for the purpose of carrying the knife across the base of the slug, and thereafter moved to the position shown in Fig. 2 to permit the ejection ofthe slug and the sprue, after which the parts resume the casting position. It will of course be understood that the plate may be varied in form and supported and guided and operated in any manner the equivalent of that herein shown.

In order to insure the formation of solid and perfect slugs, particularly when operating at high speeds, it is desirable to cool the mold artificially. For this purpose I construct the mold-wheel with an internal chamber g, communicating with a central hole or bore through its supporting-stud.

O is a pipe connecting with any suitable source of water-supply and extended through the central stud of the wheel, with its inner end in position to deliver water into the chamber, the mouth being preferably turnedupward, as shown, the better to insure proper circulation. The water passing from this pipe into the chamber escapes from the latter around the pipe and through the stud or arbor Z), whence it flows into a stationary funnel or receiver P. from which a waste-pipe is extended, as shown. It will be observed that the arrangement involves no joints or packing and that there is no possibility of the water passing in any way to the mold. In order to permit access to the interior, a plate g may be screwed or otherwise secured centrally in the front of the chamber, as shown in Fig. 1; but this is not an essential feature of construction. It is obvious that the water-chamber may be made of any suitable size and form.

It will be observed that the sprue-plate movable in relation to the mold serves the twofold purpose of detaching the sprue and removing the same from its original position, while at the same time exposing the base of the slug, so that the ejector may act to deliver the same from the mold independently of the sprue, which is delivered in the opposite direction.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a linotype-machine, the combination of the slotted mold having a flat rear surface, the sprue-plate having a fiat face to close the mold and a slot of less width than the moldslot, a pot arranged to deliver metal through the sprue-plate tothe mold, means for mov ing the sprue-plate edgewise in relation to the mold to detach and remove the sprue, and an ejector arranged to eject the slug from the mold WllllGlil'lG sprue-plate is moved as described.

2. In a linotype-machine, the combination of a' slotted mold having a flat rear face, a sprue-plate adapted to close the rear side of the mold, an ejector for the slug, an ejector for the sprue, means for moving the sprueplate to carry its slot from the casting position to the sprue-ejector, and means for actuating the sprue-ejector and the slug-ejector alternately.

3. In a linotype-machine, the combination of the slotted mold, a source of metal-supply therefor, an intermediate slotted sprue-plate arranged to cover the rear face of the mold, means for moving the sprue-plate edgeWise to remove the sprue and expose the slug, and means for ejecting the slug.

4. In a linotype-machine, the combination of the mold, the intermittingly-rotating wheel to which the mold is aflixed, the sprue-plate carried by the Wheel and movable in relation to the mold, a source of metal-supply, means for moving the sprue-plate in relation to the mold and means for ejecting the slug independently of the sprue.

5. In a linotype-machine, the combination of the mold-carrying Wheel and mold, a sprueplate carried by and movable on the Wheel to expose the rear edge of the slug in the mold, the cam for imparting motion to said plate and means for ejecting the slug independently of the sprue.

6. In a linotype-machine, the combination of the mold, the relatively movable sprueplate, and a knife carried by said plate whereby the sprue is detached and removed and the rear edge of the slug thereafter trimmed.

7 In a linotype-machine, the combination of the mold-carrying Wheel and mold, a knifecarrying plate movably mounted on the Wheel, and the fixed cam to actuate the plate.

8. In a linotype-machine, the combination of the traveling mold, the relatively movable sprue-plate, the sprue-ejector, and means for effecting the movement of said parts.

9. In a linotype-machine, the combination of a mold, a sprue-plate, means for moving said plate to break the sprue or gate from the slug, and aknife arranged to remove the metal protruding from the base of the slug seated in the mold.

10. In a linotype-machine, the combination of the mold, movable forward and backward,

the cooperating relatively movable sprueplate, the sprueejector, the spring to cause the retraction of the ejector, and astop to cause its action on the sprue.

11. In a linotype-machine, in combination With the mold-carrying Wheel, the mold, the movable sprue-plate and the movable sprueejector, all mounted on and carried by said Wheel.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand, this 2d day of March, 1905, in the presence of tWo attesting Witnesses.

- CARL MUEHLEISEN.

Witnesses:

WOLDEMAR HAU'PT, HENRY HAsrnR. 

